What do you say, dear?
There are some books that you just know you will love before reading the first word. Maybe it is the front cover? The illustration style? The title itself? Or maybe the author or illustrator’s name gets you? This one got me on all levels — a beautiful front cover, an intriguing title (with an equally appealing sub-title: “A book of manners for all occasions”) and with Maurice Sendak illustrating there was little that could keep me from rushing to the till, copy in hand. (more…)
Really Rosie and the Nutshell Library
If there is one thing out there that can instantly transport me back to being a young child, it’s the soundtrack to “Really Rosie”. Carol King’s bell-bottomed clad voice is forever burned into my memory bank and for those of you who remember the songs “Eating chicken soup with rice”, “One was Johnny” and “Pierre” I urge you to share them with the next generation. I recently purchased the soundtrack on Itunes and also picked up this boxed book set
-Dina
Elephant Elements
Elephant Elements
What I love about this book is it goes much further then your normal book on opposites — yes you have your ‘big & small’, ‘long & short’ and ‘top & bottom’ but you also have the unconventional ‘visible & invisible’, ’solid & liquid’ & ‘broken & mended’ — and the book always uses an elephant to illustrate them! It is very, very funny and imaginative and appeals as much to adults as to children (beware of the rotten elephant though – urghhhhh!).
-Mo
16th century dress-up doll
I love this free down-loadable dress up doll from Ce Que Je Veux — do you remember their wonderful pyjamas?
xxx Esther
Not a Box
Have you ever used a cardboard box as something else? A space-rocket perhaps, a television, a doll’s bed? My kids certainly fall into the category of finding the box more exciting than whatever comes in it. That is why we love Not A Box
We have also ordered the follow up title Not A Stick
Art Jar from Land of Nod
We are currently in Seattle visiting my family… and having loads of summertime fun in the sun. I think my kids have spent the majority of the time running around naked outside… bliss!! However, thanks to the I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar from The Land of Nod, we’ve also been spending some ultra crafty time inside making all sorts of art projects. How cool is this concept? It’s a big jar filled to the brim with arts & craft supplies — things like construction paper, googly eyes, wooden buttons, scissors, glue, pipe cleaners, wooden beads, tissue paper, etc. etc. It’s like a craft store in a jar. And when you’re finished making projects, you just shove everything back into the jar, close the lid and store the jar in a cupboard. Easy peasy!
-Courtney
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The Little House
The Little House
It’s a story about a little house who lives out in the country and enjoys the changing of the seasons and the beauty of the countryside. She notices a city in the far distance… and over time, the city gets closer and closer until she finds herself living in the middle of a bustling city with towering buildings and a subway line right below her. On one level, it is a story of time and advancement in architecture and transportation, but on another level it is just a sweet story about a little house and the observations she makes. Either way, you and your kids will love it!
It is available from our bookshop, both US and Europe. And also check out Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel — another family favourite by Virginia Lee Burton.
-Courtney
The Runaway Dinner
I just love when a children’s book has a decent storyline, great illustrations AND the added bonus of being just plain silly. If I am going to read the same book a hundred and fifty times for weeks on end is it too much to ask for basic things like plot, action, suspense and pretty pictures? I think not “Goodnight Moon” (ahem). The Runaway Dinner
Available from the Babyccino Bookshop, both US and Europe.
-Dina
Marie de Paris
Estelle from Nordinary recently introduced me this lovely series of books from Paris-based editing house, ABC Melody.
The books feature children in cities all over the world, and they are really well done. You have Marie à Paris, Eva à Stockholm, Charlie from London and lots more. They beautifully describe each child’s life: what they do during the day, eat for breakfast, how they live and how they spend their free time. Marie de Paris is my daughter’s favourite book at the moment as she totally identifies with this little girl and the life she leads. The book captures the daily life of a little Parisian perfectly. The other books in the series are great too and really make kids realize how children in other cities live, perfect for multi-cultural children. (more…)
The Heart and the Bottle
Have you read Oliver Jeffers’ new book, The Heart and the Bottle
Oliver Jeffers takes a deeply sad topic (death of a loved one) and tries to show the emotions involved. As an adult, I think it’s such a lovely story, but my kids certainly did not pick up on that. Did yours?
-Courtney
Big Boy Pop-Up Book
Pop-Up books today are not like the ones I grew up with, that’s for sure. Last year I picked up this Matthew Reinhart Star Wars pop-up book for one of my friend’s sons who happened to be obsessed with Star Wars and I was simply blown away by it. The book itself is packed with the most artistic, intense and downright amazing 3-D pop-ups I have ever seen! It’s the type of book that a child could sit with again and again as it also has a bunch of hidden flaps to explore and tons of information.
You should check out the Matthew Reinhart website to get a sense of what lurks inside and be sure to check out his full collection if pop-ups as they are all pretty incredible.
-Dina
Books for Boys
Categorizing books by gender is really tricky business. I mean, who’s to say that girls won’t like books about trains or that boys only like books about diggers? We all know this is not the case.
My boys tend to like books about animals and sea creatures, but they’re happy to read anything (including the more ‘girlie’ books). This being said, I’ve just scanned the books on their bookshelf and many of their favourites feature a boy as the central character. Here is a list of our favourite ‘boy’ books:
1.)Iggy Peck, Architect
2.)Lost and Found
3.)When You Were Small
4.)The Giving Tree
5.)Tyrannosaurus Drip
6.)The Runaway Dinner
7.)The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf
8.)Alfie and the Big Boys
9.)Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
10.)Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
11.)Who’s Driving?
12.)How to Catch a Star
13.)And the Train Goes…
14.)Go, Dog. Go! by P. D. Eastman
15.)Harry by the Sea
16.)The Happy Lion
17.)Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
18.)Green Eggs and Ham
19.)Who’s Hiding?
20.)A Walk in New York
Do you have favourite ‘boy’ books? Please share!!!
-Courtney
I Dreamt I was a Dinosaur
When I became a mom, I always knew I wanted to create a household centered around learning, and what better tool than a book? I have books for the kids to peruse in each room of the house for whenever they get the urge, and I’ve tried to supply them with a wide mix of books from basic picture books to classic story books to educational books.
Of course many of our children’s books are on every parent’s reading list — Shel Silverstein, Maurice Sendak, Mo Willems (who doesn’t love Knuffle Bunny?!), the Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child, H.A. Rey’s Curious George, etc.
Recently I found some serious “boy” books that have interesting multi-media elements in their illustrations that I believe stimulate a different type of creativity in boys.
One of our favorites is I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur
World Map from Famille Summerbelle
Do you remember the beautiful hand-cut city maps from Famille Summerbelle? We’ve mentioned them a few times here on Babyccino Kids — clearly we are huge fans. Well, they’ve just this week launched their world map print and it is stunning! I love all the details, including the little idiosyncrasies of each continent, plus the sea life in the water. I think it’s probably just as fun for the kids to look at too, to point out all the animals, etc. You can buy it online from their webshop. And if you aren’t already familiar with their city maps, check those out too!
Oh, and you can also watch the film of the making of the map, which takes more than 20 hours of paper cutting and captures it in just two minutes. Pretty impressive!
-Courtney
Rifle Paper Co.
I recently stumbled upon Rifle Paper Co., a boutique stationery brand started by Anna and Nathan Bond, a husband and wife duo based in Florida. They specialize in cards, paper goods, invitations and art prints featuring Anna’s hand-painted, whimsical designs. I fell in love with the ‘Uh Oh’ print (pictured) which I bought for my daughter. I just love that little girl curled up inside the bear reading her book — so sweet. I also love their Animal Alphabet Chart and the Hat Collection print (nice for a boy’s room).
Rifle Paper Co. also makes lovely personalized stationery and birthday invitations — and check out their Father’s Day cards! Cute.
-Courtney
Smiggle
If you live in Melbourne and you parent a tween girl then you are unlikely to need an introduction to ‘Smiggledom’ — after all, the Smiggle craze is rife down under, even infiltrating our schools. And, judging by the whims of my 8-year-old and her posse of friends, it is not disappearing anytime soon. So what is ‘Smiggle’, this tween sensation, also coveted by high-school and university students? Smiggle is the name of some extremely fashion-forward and innovative stationery — it is synonymous with great design, great value, bright colors and cool graphics; being coordinated and being eco aware.
I must concede that I, a 30 something mother of two, am not entirely immune to the Smiggle craze (I invested in the brilliant Cuattro Maxi Pen — a red pen, blue pen, mechanical pencil and highlighter all in one). I also love checking out their amazing concept stores, a kaleidoscope of bright colors and yummy smells, just beckoning you in. (more…)
Doodles at Dinner
I just picked up this book of Doodle Placemats
We have a ‘no toys at the table’ policy when we’re eating, but I find this really handy for that pre-dinner phase when my kids are completely crazy. It gets them to the table and quiets them down… and then they have a lovely placemat to use when dinner arrives.
The book is available from our bookshop (both US and UK).
-Courtney
Ladybird Prints
As you may have figured by now, I’m a bit of a nut when it comes to children’s books and I have a particular passion for old ones. That’s why I love this idea from Ladybird Books …
Ladybird Books started during the First World War (actually near my home-town in Leicestershire). Their aim being to publish ‘pure and healthy literature’ for children. Most of my generation will remember reading Ladybird books at home or school, especially the Peter and Jane series. They had some classic titles like ‘Learning is Fun’ or ‘Books are Exciting’.
Now Ladybird have put over 4,500 images from their archives (mainly from the ’50s and ’60s) online to order as prints or canvases. It is such a brilliant idea and with the array of sizes available it is so adaptable to any nursery or child’s room. Prints start as small as a photo and go up to A0 poster size, and canvases start at 20cm and go up to 125cm. Both can be ordered framed as well.
The images are not just front covers but pictures from inside the books and even the pencil sketches from the endpapers (like this adorable one from Bunnikin’s Picnic Party). The site is well worth a browse (even if just for the sake of nostalgia) but as there are so many to forage through, here are my favourites to get you started: (more…)
Add to Cart — My “can’t live without” websites
While I do long for a simpler and slower paced era, I honestly don’t know how on earth I would have survived the last few years without the godsend that is “on-line shopping.” If I can point, click and add something to a cart I feel, if only temporarily, like I just bought a few more minutes of freedom in my life.
Here are a list of my favorite on-line shopping websites for the basics — to simplify everyday life with kids in general.
1.) Children’s Shoes – Zappos.com. I get almost all of my kids shoes from Zappos. I am obsessed. They deliver faster than Chinese Food Take Away and they have a massive selection. I kid you not — I always receive a box within 24 hours and shipping is free! They also have a 1-year return policy (unheard of!).
2.) Quality Every-Day Baby/Kids Clothes – Tea Collection, Mini Boden, Lands End. All have great cotton basics that can be worn into the ground. These are my go-to shops for school clothing, leggings, sleepwear and warm weather supplies. (more…)
A Balloon for a Blunderbuss
I really enjoy writing for Babyccino Kids. My favourite bit is reading the comments people leave on my posts — it is so great to have a dialogue with like-minded mums and dads. Back in February I wrote about a great book I’d found, Sparkle & Spin. Tina left a comment and it was clear to me this was a lady with a similar book-obsession. Not only had she already discovered Sparkle & Spin (and the other books written by the same authors), but she also had some suggestions of other books I may like.
Now I don’t need much persuading to order a few books on Amazon so I ordered Tina’s suggestions and of course they were all fabulous, but my particular favourite was A Balloon for Blunderbuss.
An imaginative tale of exchange and how something tiny can grow into a big dream. Written by poet Alastair Reid and illustrated by world-renowned graphic designer, Bob Gill, it is a truly beautiful book and we all love reading it here in this house. So thank you Tina!
(Available from the Babyccino Kids Bookstore — both UK and US.)
Mo. x
